Aunt Ruth loved to play games, especially those that challenged the mind. She played with whoever came to visit. She especially loved to play with her friend Lou.  When I was in high school, I remember playing a card game with a list of rules she got from Shalle’s mom. It was a whole page of rules with different rules for each hand. I think it was an early version of phase 10.  She would play scrabble for hours. As she got older it was more about making words and filling the board rather than keeping score. 

I remember having a big cookout one time at Grandmother’s house in Bryan. The men cooked out over an open grill dug in the ground. A lot of family just hanging out and having fun. I found out from Aunt Ruth it was because their freezer went out so they brought all the meat to use before it went bad. There was no thought of throwing it out when it could be used to bring the family together. That’s the way she was.

I wanted to share about Ruth 
Ruth Earline was the first child of Albert Lee “Noogie” Stewart and Mina Iris Teal. She was the eldest of 10 and spent her life helping look after her siblings.  She was born at home and Mina’s mother Emma Teal, helped deliver her. Ruth is a family name, Grandmother had a sister named Baby Ruthy, my oldest sister Laura Ruth was named for her. Earline came from a beloved local teacher Ms. Earline Brock, from Keith, Texas where they lived at the time. 
The family moved around a bit in the Brazos/Grimes County area.  Ruth graduated from Richards High School and started college. She came home and married Walker Bartel “Booley” Corley. While in the service overseas, he sent her home a set of beautiful China dishes. She often invited me to the Ladies Night Out dinners at the church, where she used those dishes to set a beautiful tablescape. 
Aunt Ruth loved being involved in her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren’s activities. She doted on them and bragged on them all. Her living room was filled with pictures of family.  
She loved to sew and she was very good at it. She had a room filled with pretty cloth. She was always making something. Sometimes she would sew her daughters an outfit before they went to school in the morning if they said they had nothing to wear. She sewed the dresses for my sister Ruthie’s wedding. The wedding dress and the bridesmaid’s dresses.  She made quilts, her favorite for the last 20 years was sewing one-inch squares together by hand to make big beautiful quilts.  
Family was important. She always helped everyone out. She babysat us one time and took us to Astroworld. It was my first time going there. When I was in 8th grade, she let us stay with her after our house caught fire. We visited her often when we lived in town. The men would go hunting and the women and kids would play games.

Sending our condolences  to Ruth's family for peace and comfort. 
I remember Ruth making my choir dresses for me. She always loved to sew it seemed to be her passion. 
Last time I saw her was at a reunion in Iola and she sold me some honey.  I will remember  her smiling face that day .

OBITUARY

Ruth E. Corley

22 June, 1934 – 12 January, 2026

Calvary Hill Funeral Home & Cemetery

Show your support

Add a Memory

Share Obituary

Get Reminders

Services